Course Synopsis:English 102 focuses on the
thinking, reading, writing, and organizational skills needed to compose
successful, college-level papers in any subject. This rigorous, accelerated
course condenses the regular English 101A/101B sequence into a single semester.
We will practice strategies for effective reading and writing, and you will be
asked to respond thoughtfully and critically—in class discussions and in course
papers—to the ideas and writings of others. Please be advised that this class
will move quickly with a heavy workload: expect homework for each class
session, and an essay or exam every two-to-three weeks. Given this pace,
English 102 is not an easy class to pass. You might be more at ease taking the
regular 101A/101B series. Please feel free to discuss with me concerns about
your preparedness or any other matter.

Course Goals:Upon the completion of this
course, you should demonstrate competence in identifying the purpose of different
readings, and in responding critically to their contents. You should be able to
form a controlling idea that focuses your writing, and back each point you make
with adequate, varied, and well-chosen evidence. You should be able to diagnose
and correct grammatical errors and stylistic problems in your writing. You
should have a stock of strategies to facilitate the reading and writing
process. You should be able to form inferences and hypotheses regarding an
author’s point of view, and regarding the evidence she or he presents. You
should be able to explain abstract concepts found in our readings, and write
for a specific audience.

Preparedness:You are expected to come to
class prepared for discussion. Students who come to class prepared will have
completed all homework and assigned readings, will have taken notes on what
they have read, and will have formulated a reaction, position, or opinion
regarding the assigned reading that they can articulate to their peers in
discussion. Reading quizzes will come at any moment, and will provide the
prepared with easy points. Ten percent of your grade will come from class
participation and quizzes.

Office Hours:I will be holding regularly
scheduled office hours at the time listed above, at a place to be announced.
Students who come to discuss their work in office hours tend to do well in
class. I am here to be a resource for you.

Lab:We will have approximately one hour of
lab time (4:30 to 5:20) prior to each class lecture. This time will be
primarily dedicated to assigned class work. However, we may also practice paper
formatting, internet research, and other reading and writing related
techniques.

Attendance:Since this is an accelerated
course, regular attendance is extremely important. If you must miss part of
lecture or lab for some truly urgent and inevitable reason, please do not skip
all of it. However, you will be marked absent for the day if you arrive more
than fifteen minutes late to class. Two unexcused absences will result in your
final grade being dropped by five percent. If you are absent for more than four
class meetings within the semester—or three consecutively—you may be dropped
from the course. You need to consult with me well ahead of any preplanned
absence.

Absence: You are responsible for all
assignments. If you miss a class, please contact a peer for any work due the
next class meeting. I will not accept late homework if you came to class the
day it was due. If you know you will be absent, please make arrangements with
me to get homework assignments beforehand. You will be expected to hand in any
homework collected during your absence the day you return. Papers will lose ten
percent of their final grade for each day they are late.

Academic Honesty: Any plagiarized work will be
given a zero grade, and the student will be referred to the Dean of Student
Services for further action. According to the Chabot College Handbook,
Plagiarism means “the deliberate misrepresentation of someone else’s works and
ideas as one’s own, as well as paraphrasing without[…]noting the source” (176).

In Class Conduct:Within reasonable and
generally accepted limits, students in this class should be allowed to speak
without interruption (from other students, cell-phones, beepers, etc.), no
matter how much we may individually disagree with what they say. This also
means that when speaking, each student should keep their comments to a length
and scope that allows other students to easily respond. Since we recognize the
social and educational value of forming and maintaining bonds of community, we
will not tolerate personal insults, menaces, slurs, sexist or racist remarks,
or any like form of speech which has no redeeming value for learning, and which
is employed with the intention of hurting others.

Course Website: You can access our class site
at http://chabot102.tripod.com . In
addition to the course syllabus and links to helpful resources for writing and research,
you will find a link to the class discussion board. While its use will remain
strictly optional, you can nevertheless contribute to your participation grade
by discussing class related matters. The above guidelines on conduct also apply
when using the web forum.